Flying to the Heavens
by Ephemeral Semblance
Summary: "They say that air is the element of freedom... Maybe that's why I haven't been able to airbend…" Korra trailed off. "Maybe it's because I haven't truly felt free." Mako didn't say anything. "Look at the sky bison," Korra continued. "They're free to go wherever they want. There are no boundaries to stop them."
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this a while ago, so it isn't up to date with all the episodes that have aired. This is an AU story that takes place sometime after "Spirit of Competition."

_Flying to the Heavens_

_Part One of Two_

"Mako? Bolin? Hello?" Korra pushed the door open and peered inside. "Anyone home?"

There was no response.

Korra sighed as she took a step into the apartment. Despite wearing her thick parka, Korra felt the chill in the attic. It was a cold winter morning, the sun barely rising above the horizon. "Mako…? Bolin…?" she called out again, hoping that at least one of the brothers would be up. "Is anyone awake?"

Then she saw Mako hunched over a large trunk with a small flame in his hand. She recalled that same trunk serving as a makeshift dining table during the various occasions she had visited. When she looked at Mako, she saw that he was only wearing an old white shirt and tattered pants. His red scarf was nowhere in sight. Korra thought he was crazy. Even though she had lived nearly all of her life in the South Pole, she still thought that winter in Republic City was _at least_ chilly.

"Hey," she quietly greeted as she approached the firebender.

Mako ignored her. Instead, he focused on the contents lying on top of the trunk.

"Mako?" Korra lit up her own flame and peered over his shoulders. In front of him was a pile of papers. Then she realized what the papers were. "Rent?"

"And the water bill… the electric bill… and the gas bill…" Mako muttered with a heavy sigh.

Korra leaned forward and scanned the papers. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "I don't know how much an apartment normally costs around here, but I _do_ know that you're being ripped off!"

"Don't worry about it," Mako said. "It's not your problem. I'll find some way to deal with it. I always do." Ever since the Fire Ferrets started to win more matches, Butakha—the owner of Republic City's pro-bending arena—had decided to increase the rent on the attic space. With the low pay he received for his job at the power plant, Mako feared that he and Bolin would eventually have to find somewhere else to live.

Korra looked at him with concerned eyes. Then she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot." Korra reached into her back pocket and then handed him a wad of money. "It's not much, but it should help with the bills."

Mako glanced at the money in Korra's outstretched hand. Despite his financial situation, he didn't feel comfortable taking her money, especially after everything she had done for the Fire Ferrets. "I don't want it."

"I figured that you would say that," Korra grumbled as she put the money away. If Mako wasn't going to take it, then she was going to pick up some groceries for him and Bolin at the local market. Maybe some new coats too.

"So, what brings you here?" Mako asked in a curious tone. "Don't you have airbending training with Tenzin soon?"

"Tenzin has a meeting with the council, and I'm taking a break today. I figured that I should spend some time with you and Bolin. You know, team bonding and stuff?"

Mako couldn't help but think that was an excuse to spend time with _him. _It wasn't too long ago when she awkwardly confessed her feelings and kissed him. Mako smiled to himself. He liked the Avatar. Actually, he liked her a lot. But now wasn't the time. He had more pressing matters to worry about—like not getting evicted. "You do know that I have work today?"

Korra didn't say anything. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her chest into his back. Mako's eyes briefly widened as Korra rested her head on his shoulder. Then he let himself relax in her arms, forgetting all his troubles for a moment. It was nice. Both he and Korra stayed in that position for a while.

"Mako, it's okay to ask for help," she whispered in his ear.

Mako didn't answer. He didn't need help. He didn't need someone to pity him. He could do this on his own. After all, he always figured things out.

* * *

_Okay, focus. Separate the energies, yin and yang. Then guide the energies as they become one again. _

Mako took a deep breath and moved his arms in a circular motion. Suddenly, lightning appeared from his fingertips and he maintained it for as long as he could. Although working at the power plant wasn't the ideal job, it did have a decent pay and the work wasn't that laborious.

_Actually, scratch that_. It sucked. The pay was lousy, the working conditions were questionable, the hours were long, and generating lightning was tedious. Mako _hated_ working at the power plant. He would much rather be practicing for the upcoming pro-bending matches than work at this crappy job for blue-collar firebenders.

Then the whistle went off.

_Finally, _Mako thought to himself. He removed his mask and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was exhausted. After collecting his pay, he made his way towards the street. On the other side, the trolley was preparing to leave. This time, he made sure to look both ways before running across the street. He didn't want to be hit by another moped again. Unfortunately, the trolley left and Mako was without transportation. It would be another hour before the next one came. After weighing his options—whether to force his fatigued body to walk to the other side of the city, or to waste an hour of his life waiting for the trolley and have a frantic Bolin searching for him—Mako decided to walk back to the apartment.

On the way, something in a store's display window caught Mako's eye. It was a cerulean blue sundress with a flowy skirt that fell to the mannequin's knees. Despite how beautiful the dress looked, it was winter and Mako had no idea why a boutique would advertise a dress unsuitable for the wintery outdoors. Regardless, Mako couldn't help but imagine his waterbending teammate wearing the dress—_indoors_ of course. Realizing how out of character he was acting, Mako shook his head. He never noticed those particular things until he met Korra. Mako knew that Korra wasn't the typical _girly _girl, but at least the gesture would seem nice. Plus, he wanted to see her in something else other than her typical baggy pants.

_Hopefully Korra won't burn it to ashes._

Then he hesitated before stepping into the shop. There was no way that he would be able to purchase the dress _and_ pay the bills. Reluctantly, he stepped back and continued on his way.

* * *

"He's being a stubborn idiot _again._"

"Who?"

"Your brother."

"Ah…" Bolin nodded in understanding. "What did he do this time?"

Korra slurped some of her noodles. "He was being stupid."

Bolin raised an eyebrow before inhaling the rest of his lunch. "Oh, okay…" he began after swallowing. "Do you plan to go into detail, or are you going to leave me guessing?"

Korra let out a loud sigh. "Why do stupid boys always do this to themselves?" she muttered in an exasperated voice. "Why do they think that they can carry the weight of the world on their own shoulders? I'm the one who's supposed to do that! I'm the damn Avatar, and even I _still_ have to ask for help!"

Bolin blinked. "Okay, I'm still lost here. What's going on?"

"He won't accept the money I wanted to give him," Korra quickly answered while chewing on her food.

"Korra, you don't have to do that. You've already done so much for us. Without you…"

"I know… but still! I mean, it would make his life so much easier. And maybe he won't have to work extra shifts at the power plant and be crankier than usual."

Bolin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's rarely at home anymore, and he's been skipping practice. His firebending is getting a bit rusty. He'll be useless the next time we play."

"Unless they change the rules to allow lightning in pro-bending matches…" Korra mumbled.

"Yeah, but lightning wouldn't be fair for earthbenders or waterbenders; unless you, as a firebender, know how to redirect lightning... Anyways, if Mako keeps this up, the Fire Ferrets might need to look for a new firebender," Bolin said jokingly. "Or they could change the rules to allow the Avatar to bend more than one element… Even without Mako, I bet you and I could still dominate." Instead of seeing the smile Bolin expected, he saw Korra turn her head to the side and absently gaze at the wall. "Korra," he softly called out. "Are you alright?"

"The Fire Ferrets might need to look for a new waterbender."

Bolin blinked in surprise. "Why?" he asked.

"I'm leaving soon."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going back to the South Pole." She had a guilty expression on her face. "I miss home. I miss my parents." Korra took Bolin's silence as a sign to continue. "When I was growing up, I never spent much time with them. I was always working on my bending, whether I wanted to _or not_. I already told Mako about this. I'm surprised that he didn't tell you."

By the time she finished, Bolin had a weepy look on his face; although, he couldn't remember what it was like to have parents and a place to call home. After all, he and his brother spent most of their childhood moving from different orphanages before living on the streets. "It must have been hard for you," Bolin said. Despite the luxury of financial stability, he couldn't imagine living without Mako—the only family he had left. Bolin would rather be dirt-poor as long as he had Mako.

Korra shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't that bad. My waterbending teacher, Katara, was awesome." Korra paused. "I miss her too."

"Are you coming back?"

"Yeah, I'll come back. Maybe after a week… or two…"

Bolin sighed. He didn't like the idea of losing a teammate. "Have you told Mako yet?"

Korra cringed at the thought of an angry firebender shooting lightning at her. "Uh, no… I was hoping you would do that for me. Please?"

"No way!" Bolin held his hands in front of him. "_You're_ the one who's leaving. You tell him."

"B-But…" Korra pouted, hoping to convince him with her seemingly innocent face.

It didn't have the effect Korra wanted. Instead of gushing at her adorableness, Bolin simply lifted an eyebrow. "That won't work on me anymore—especially since you convinced me to dye Mako's underwear pink."

"Now that was hilarious!" Korra exclaimed, briefly switching topics.

There was a long pause between the two pro-bending teammates. It was an awkward pause. Normally, Bolin would start talking about an upcoming match and Korra would excitedly, _and loudly_, proclaim that the Fire Ferrets would annihilate their opponents. It wouldn't be a surprise for anyone. After all, the Fire Ferrets had done extraordinarily well for a rookie team.

"So… anything interesting going on?" Korra asked, attempting to lift the heavy atmosphere.

"Well…" Bolin began, "I just found out that my former crush—also the only person able to wield all four elements—is going back to the South Pole; and I'm trying to figure out how to tell this to my brother—a firebender who happens to know how to bend lightning—without getting fried or brunt to a crisp."

Korra stared hard at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Bolin attempted to comfort her. "You should see your parents and Katara. I'm sure they miss you."

Korra wasn't convinced. As much as she wanted to go back to the South Pole, she didn't want to leave Mako and Bolin. Also, Amon and his Equalists were still on the loose. "So… on a scale of one to ten, how mad do you think Mako will be when he finds out?" Korra nervously asked.

"Eleven."

"Oh, come on! He can't be that mad."

"Okay, twelve then."

"Argh!"

"He might even shoot lightning at you," Bolin added in a voice that sounded far too casual for Korra's liking. "We might need to look for the _next _Avatar soon."

"I give up!" Korra quickly stood. "Come on. We still have a lot of shopping to do."

* * *

Mako awoke from his spot on the couch when Korra and Bolin barged into the apartment. Already, he could feel the inevitable migraine appearing—an unfortunate symptom that resulted from overexposure to crazy Avatars.

"Hey Mako!" Bolin happily greeted as he placed a large brown bag in front of his brother. "Look at what we got!" The young earthbender pulled out a week's worth of groceries.

_Korra, _Mako thought. He turned to look at the Avatar, angry that she had felt sorry for them. He was ready to yell at her, but then he saw the sheepish smile on her face. Mako immediately felt guilty. He knew that she only wanted to help out, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful, especially since Bolin was so happy at the moment. "Thank you," he quietly said.

Korra grinned. "Don't thank me. It was mostly Tenzin's money."

"Umm… Korra?" Bolin nervously walked over. "Aren't you going to tell him?"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what?"

"Uh…" Korra uneasily avoided looking into Mako's curious eyes. "I-I… I'm going back home for a while." The worried Avatar slowly inched her way towards the open window, prepared to dodge any incoming fireballs or lightning bolts.

"Okay."

"_Okay?" _Korra was surprised. Bolin too had a shocked expression on his face. They both didn't expect him to let her go so easily. They knew how much pro-bending meant to Mako. "Really?" Korra asked.

Mako looked at her with a blank expression. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. How long will you be gone?"

"Uh, a week or two," she repeated what she had told Bolin. She mentally prepared herself, ready in case Mako decided to kick her off the team. She wasn't sure if she could handle the idea of being replaced like the waterbender before her.

_Like Hasook… _

"Then it looks like the Fire Ferrets won't be playing until you get back." If the Fire Ferrets weren't going to play, then they won't earn the extra money from their winnings—meaning that Mako would be working extra shifts at the power plant. This prospect _thrilled _him.

"You're not going to look for a replacement waterbender?" Korra asked.

Mako stood and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Korra, you're a valuable member of the team. No one can replace you."

"Then how did I replace your old waterbender so easily?"

Bolin stepped forward. "That's because he walked out on us. And you're a much better waterbender than he is." He gave Korra a reassuring hug. "Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with us even when we're old and grey," he playfully said. "And yes, I do plan on pro-bending when I'm eighty years old."

Mako watched as Korra let out a laugh. He couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. But that smile turned into a frown when Korra tossed him a thick black coat. "Here, this will keep you warm. I don't want you to die from pneumonia while I'm gone." While Mako was examining the article of clothing, she handed Bolin the other coat in her arms.

"How much was this?" Mako asked with narrowed eyes.

Korra gave him an irritated look. "Mako, just shut up and take the damn coat."

The firebender was about to protest, but he decided that it was best not to upset Korra.

That night, Korra stayed over and had dinner with the brothers. When it got late, Bolin insisted that she spend the night with them. "You still can't airbend and you don't have a flying bison," he explained, "And we're not letting you swim in the bay tonight! I don't care if you're a waterbender! It's freezing out there!"

Korra pursed her lips. "Well, I _did_ tell Tenzin that I was going out with you and that I probably wouldn't come home until late tonight… _or tomorrow morning_," she quickly added.

Mako raised an eyebrow at what she said, but didn't press the matter.

"Yes!" Bolin happily shouted. "Then he won't mind if you stay with us tonight!"

"But I don't want to be a burden," Korra muttered as she thought it over. "I could stay in a local hotel instead."

Bolin made an annoyed face. "But you're leaving soon. And we're going to miss you." With that said, the brothers' fire ferret suddenly scurried up Korra's arm, making itself comfortable around her neck. "See? Pabu is going to miss you too."

Korra wasn't sure if Bolin was right about Pabu, or if the fire ferret was just looking for a source of heat. "Okay, you convinced me," she said as she stroked Pabu's head. Korra was actually a bit excited. Excluding her time with Tenzin's daughters, this would technically be her first sleepover. "So how is this going to work out? The sleeping arrangements…?"

"You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch," Bolin immediately offered.

"No," Mako interrupted. The other two benders turned their attention to him. "Korra can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He knew how uncomfortable the couch could be.

"Uh, okay," Korra agreed. "I need to pee. Where's the bathroom."

Mako quickly gave her directions and watched her climb down the steps and out the door. When he was sure that she was out of earshot, he turned to his brother. "Bolin, is this a good idea?"

"Uh, yeah. It's better than sending her out into the cold."

"No, I mean…"

Bolin gave Mako a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It won't be like _that _time…" Bolin said, referring to when the two brothers fought over Korra. "Bros before…"

Mako's eyes shot at Bolin, daring him to finish that sentence.

"Eh, bros before… uh, girls…?"

"Yeah, bros before _girls_."

* * *

"_Mako!"_

The said firebender groaned and turned over to his side, trying to find a comfortable position on the lumpy, old furniture. He was wondering why he was hearing Korra's voice in his dream.

"_Mako, are you awake?"_

Maybe it wasn't a dream. Mako turned his head to the source of the annoyance. His heavy eyelids fluttered open. "Now I am," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Good! Now move over!" Korra whispered as she crawled underneath the covers and hugged the warm firebender. "Good night," she casually said with a happy smile.

"_Korra,"_ Mako growled, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to sleep," she replied as she wrapped her arms tighter around his torso. "Now be quiet."

"You have a bed," Mako mumbled. "Go sleep there."

"It's cold," she whined.

Mako let out an annoyed sigh. "Shouldn't you be used to the cold? Especially living in the South Pole and all?"

Korra raised her head and sent him an unamused glare. "Just because I'm used to it, it doesn't mean that I like it."

"Oh." Mako looked up at the girl lying on top of him. He noticed that her hair was down. It made her look more feminine. Then his face reddened. For a teenage girl, she was _really_ pretty. A lot prettier than most of the girls he had seen. "This is really awkward for me…" he began.

"Really? Why should this be awkward? I like you and I _know _that you like me."

Mako was about to retort, but then he remembered what she had told him about her childhood. He figured that living in a compound for most of her life must have made her socially inept, and a _bit_ crazy. Also, he didn't exactly mind that she was touching him—or rather cuddling with him—except that her weight was crushing his body. "Korra, I don't think this couch is big enough for the two of us."

"Deal with it."

Mako sighed for the umpteenth time that night. When he shifted to the side, his eyes widened when he felt something strange. Immediately, he lit a small flame in his hand and peered under the covers. "Korra, is that my…?"

"Yep," she replied in a satisfied voice.

"And my…?"

"Yep."

"Usually when you want to borrow something from someone, you're supposed to ask permission first… especially since the things you're burrowing happen to be _my_ shirt and _my _boxers."

Korra shrugged. "You would have said yes. I just didn't want to wake you up."

He groaned. "Well, you had no problem waking me up just now."

"Hmm…"

Mako felt very uncomfortable at the moment. Physically. Her knee was digging into his thigh and her arms squeezed him too tightly. He remembered what it was like when Asami would hug him. She was gentle whenever she leaned onto him, gingerly placing her hands on his chest. Of course that relationship didn't last as long as Mako or Asami would have liked.

"If you're not sleeping in my bed, then I'm taking it back." With a powerful shove, Mako managed to push the young Avatar off his body. Then he walked away, taking the blanket along with him.

"Mako, wait!" Korra cried out. "And give me the damn blanket! I'm cold!"

"Deal with it!" he replied, stealing her trademark phrase.

"Ooh!" Korra glared at Mako as he wrapped the blanket around his body. She was sure that he was only doing that only to frustrate her further. Then she got up and followed Mako. Korra silently fumed when she saw him already comfortable in his bed. "Scoot over," she mumbled as she climbed in.

Instead of telling her to leave him alone, Mako lifted an arm up and, despite the awkwardness, pulled her shivering body close to his. "Feel better?" he asked.

Korra didn't speak but nodded into his chest. Then she glanced up at Mako's face. His eyes were closed, but she knew that he wasn't asleep. "They say that air is the element of freedom," she whispered.

Mako's eyes slowly opened. "Yeah?"

"Maybe that's why I haven't been able to airbend…" Korra trailed off. "Maybe it's because I haven't truly felt free."

Mako didn't say anything.

"Look at the sky bison," Korra continued. "They're free to go wherever they want. There are no boundaries to stop them. If there's a sea of lava, they could fly over it. With the rest of the other non-flying animals, they're trapped where they are. If you look at it figuratively, normal people are like the sky bison. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wherever they want. With me, I'm trapped being the Avatar. To be burdened doing my Avatar duties _whatever, whenever,_ and _wherever_ the people want in _this_ life… _and in the next one._ I'm the poor polar bear dog forever trapped on a tiny island surrounded by lava—_and polar bear dogs can't bend lava_. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Actually _you _might be able to bend lava, since you can bend both earth and fire."

"_Not the point."_

Mako heaved a sigh. "I think that you're talking too much. You'll airbend soon. Your past lives were able to do it. Now go to sleep."

Korra frowned, but she forcibly closed her eyes. Moments later, she was asleep. Unfortunately for Mako, he couldn't sleep especially after hearing what Korra had said.

_She's not the only polar bear dog trapped on a tiny island, _he thought to himself.

* * *

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to contact Tenzin. And I'm serious about this." She directed her last sentence to a certain firebender.

Mako rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Alright, I will."

"Don't worry!" Bolin happily chirped. "If—_or when_—Mako ends up working himself to death, can I live with your airbender foster family?" he asked in a joking manner.

"Of course, Bolin!"

"Gee Bo, I doubt they'll accept you once they find out the amount of food you're capable of consuming," Mako muttered, his tone dripping with menace.

Ignoring his brother's comment, Bolin rushed forward and embraced Korra. She returned the gesture enthusiastically with a bone crushing hug, managing to lift the muscular teenager off the ground for a good minute or two. "I'll miss you, Bolin," she quietly said.

Bolin pulled away but placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'll miss you too, Korra. Now if there's anyone who gives you trouble in the South Pole, let me know. I'll rush over there and beat the shit—"

"Language!" Mako cut in, narrowing his amber eyes in a scolding manner.

"Uh… what I meant was that I will engage the sorry bastard in a duel, where I will proceed to use my superior strength to thrash the idiot until the whimpering bloke begs for forgiveness." Bolin turned to Mako for approval.

"That sounded better," Mako admitted, "…and more sophisticated."

Korra laughed. Amusement danced in her eyes. "Thanks. And if any girl gives you trouble, I'll beat the shit—"

"Language, Korra!" Mako interrupted again.

"Sorry," Korra mumbled. She turned back to Bolin. "As I was saying, I'll beat the crap out of any girl who gives you trouble!" she exclaimed.

"So, you're going to beat yourself up?" Mako asked in a teasing tone, referring to the time when Korra had caused Bolin much grief.

"Can it, Firebender Boy!" Korra snapped. That was still a sensitive topic for her.

Bolin chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Korra. We're all past that now._ Right, Mako?" _he aimed the question at his brother.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm sorry. I was just kidding around. Anyways, can I have a moment with Korra?"

Bolin looked at Korra and back at his brother, deeming it safe to leave the two alone. "Uh, sure… I'm going to check on Naga and Pabu."

Korra watched as the younger brother ran off before turning to the older one. "So, what do you need to talk about?"

"Uh…" Mako awkwardly averted his eyes from her curious gaze. "I just wanted to say good luck and come back soon."

Korra smirked as she raised an eyebrow. "Is that all? You could have said that without sending Bolin off."

"Hey, this is… difficult for me."

The young Avatar grinned. "Oh, come on. It's not that hard. Just say that you're going to miss me."

"I… I'm going to miss you," he managed to say. His cheeks suddenly flushed red with embarrassment.

"See? That wasn't so hard."

Her damn smirk infuriated him… and he was going to miss that. "Here." He took off his red scarf and wrapped it around her neck. "Uh, I hear that it's cold in the South Pole. This should keep you warm." _And safe…_

Korra rolled her eyes. "Of course it's cold, _genius._" She felt the soft scarf around her neck with her hand. "But thank you."

"So, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you."

He wanted to say something more, but quickly stopped himself. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Korra shyly turned away. "Yeah, I guess it is." She looked disappointed.

Mako didn't say anything as she turned around to make her way onto the large ship. From the corner of his eye, he could see Naga trotting towards him with Bolin in tow. Mako realized that he had to do something fast. He needed to show her how he felt.

"Hey!" Korra cried out when Mako suddenly caught her arm and spun her around. "Mako, what are you doing?"

He answered her question by pressing his lips on hers. Last time, she was the one who rushed into the kiss. This time, he was the impulsive one. After a good twenty seconds, the two slowly pulled apart.

Korra quickly looked away in embarrassment. "Wow…" she managed to say. Her cheeks were bright pink.

Feeling a burst of confidence, Mako smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Yeah… wow."

Korra giggled and lifted her chin, her nose touching his. "So, you like me and I like you… We kissed, twice actually. Does that mean we can… you know?"

"…"

Korra pouted in quiet frustration. "This is _really _awkward. And you're not helping."

"We'll figure it out when you get back," Mako suggested. "And we'll continue our talk about airbending and flying sky bison," he added.

Korra let out a sigh of relief. "That sounds like a good plan."

"Yeah."

Korra started to fidget. "Uh, I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. Soon."

Korra gave him a small smile before walking onto the ship, and her giant polar bear dog followed.

Bolin suddenly appeared beside Mako and waved his arms at the ship. "Have a nice trip, Korra! We'll miss you!" Then he turned to Mako with an angry look. "Bro, you just kissed Korra! Again!" Disapproval was written all over the earthbender's face.

Mako's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought you said that you were over her—"

"Y-You… _How could you?"_ Bolin interrupted. His exaggerated sobs continued. "You traitor! Didn't you learn the first time?"

"Bolin, I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow. How about I pick up your favorite dumplings for dinner?"

"You think dumplings are going to fix my betrayed heart?" Bolin exclaimed as he grabbed his brother's shirt.

Ashamed, Mako averted his eyes to the ground. "No… and I'm sorry, Bolin."

Then Bolin burst out laughing as he slapped Mako's back. "Nah, it's cool. I was just messing with you. _But I still want those dumplings."_

Mako glared at his brother, angry and relieved at the same time. Then he looked back at the water and saw the ship disappearing beyond the horizon. Mako realized that without Korra, things would go back to the way they were. There would be no more fighting chi blockers on the streets or dealing with a certain shady politician. Instead, it would just be him and Bolin again. Maybe with her gone, he could finally have some peace and quiet in his life.

* * *

It was too quiet and peaceful for Mako's liking. He missed the chaos. He was waiting for Korra to burst into the apartment at any moment, demanding that he and Bolin go explore the city with her. Instead, he was glaring at a fruit basket—one of the many Tenzin's family had sent over. Mako couldn't help but feel annoyed. Did they think that he was incapable of caring for him and his brother? He had been doing it for the last ten years.

"Wow!" Bolin exclaimed in delight. "I've never seen so many fruit baskets in my life! They must really like us!"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure," he said as he prepared to leave. "Make sure you study tonight. The University is having an entrance exam in two months. If you get accepted, you can get an education and have a better life."

"Yeah, yeah… I know," Bolin said as he pulled out a textbook he borrowed from the library. "But I'm having trouble understanding this concept."

Mako's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the page Bolin was pointing at. Despite Mako's limited education, he still managed to teach Bolin to read and write. Aside from basic math, Mako felt useless when it came to helping Bolin with his studies. "Go to the library tomorrow," he said, "Maybe someone will help you."

Bolin frowned. "Let's say I get accepted… Do you have any idea how much the tuition is?"

"It doesn't matter. Money is of no concern when it comes to your education."

"But Mako—"

"Bolin, you can become something better than I'll ever be. Just study hard and you'll be fine."

"What about pro-bending?" Bolin asked in a quiet voice. "I can make a living from that."

"You can't pro-bend forever! What if you get an injury? What if…" Mako stopped himself. "What if you lose your bending?" he asked in a soft voice.

Bolin winced at Mako's words, remembering the incident with Amon.

"Look, it's okay to focus on pro-bending, b-but…" Mako struggled to find the right words, "…but you need to have a backup plan in case you can't pro-bend anymore. I… I don't want you to end up on the streets again."

"And I don't want you to suffer anymore," Bolin replied.

Mako didn't say anything. Instead, he made his way towards the exit.

"Hey, where are you going?" Bolin called out.

"To work."

Bolin glanced outside the windows. It was nighttime. "But it's eight o'clock. And you've been working all day. Don't you think you should take a break? I mean, we have plenty of food here."

Mako turned to his brother. "Fruit baskets aren't going to pay the bills."

Bolin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Then realization hit him. "Aw man! Did rent increase again?"

"Don't worry about it, Bolin."

Bolin wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Rent did increased," he stated as a matter of fact. "Look Mako, I can get a job in construction as an earthbender. It'll help—"

"I told you not to worry about it!" Mako said in a voice that sounded angrier than he intended. Upon seeing Bolin's downcast eyes, he immediately regretted using his harsh tone. "Finish up studying and go to bed soon. I'll be back in the morning."

"Mako," Bolin began, "I'm really worried about you."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

* * *

"It's been two weeks already. When is Korra coming back?" an irritated Mako asked.

"Just be patient."

"Do you think anything happened to her?"

"I'm sure that she's fine," Bolin replied. While he was getting annoyed with his brother's nonstop questions about Korra's wellbeing, Bolin was happy that he had managed to convince Mako to join him at Narook's. "Aren't these noodles the best?" Bolin asked before inhaling another bowl.

Mako watched as the empty bowls began piling up on Bolin's end and mentally calculated how many hours of work at the power plant would be equivalent to a night at Narook's with Bolin. "I'm still worried about her," Mako said as he absently moved his food away.

"Me too," replied Bolin as he placed his chopsticks down. "But right now, I'm more worried about you."

Mako scoffed. "There's no need to worry about me."

Bolin gave his brother a serious look. Ever since Korra had left, Mako's unhealthy habits got worse. "You've been working too much. You've lost weight, and you're barely getting more than four hours of sleep a night. You're a wreck!" he pointed out.

Mako didn't answer. Instead he poked his noodles with a chopstick.

"If you would just let me take that job—"

"We've had this discussion," Mako cut in. "I don't want you dealing with this kind of stuff especially when the entrance exam is coming up. You need to focus on studying. If you get admitted—"

"I know!" Bolin slammed his fists on the table, nearly knocking over the bowls. "You've told me so many times already!"

Mako ignored Bolin's outburst. "If you score high enough, you could get a scholarship. If not, I'll find some way to pay for the tuition."

Bolin was silent. He figured that it was futile to continue arguing, and he didn't want to risk having Mako burn down the establishment. Instead, he channeled his anger in glaring at his brother. If Bolin was a firebender, Mako would have combusted a thousand times over.

"Hey Bo, have you ever imagined yourself being a sky bison?"

"Why would I imagine myself as a sky bison?" Bolin asked bitterly, still upset over the argument.

"Well, the sky bison are animals that can airbend, so they can go anywhere… whenever they want. They're free."

"Right… and we can totally do that too," Bolin replied. "If we have the right transportation and all," he added.

Mako continued, "Yeah, but what if you're on an island surrounded by lava. If you're a sky bison, you could fly away. If you're a polar bear dog…"

"Then you're screwed," Bolin finished for him. It didn't take a genius to come to that conclusion.

"Exactly… And right now, I feel like a polar bear dog."

Bolin gave his brother a concerned look. "Mako, why are you talking about polar bear dogs?"

Mako shrugged. "I don't know. It's just something Korra said to me before she left." He sighed as he pushed his unfinished bowl towards Bolin. "Wouldn't it be awesome if you could fly up to the heavens?"

Bolin stopped in mid slurp. "Okay, Mako… I think the sleep deprivation is starting to get to you." Suddenly, Bolin's eyes widened. "Uh oh…"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

_Tahno, _Bolin mouthed.

Mako turned his head to see a certain waterbender approach the table. _"Great," _he muttered with disdain.

"Well, well, well…" Tahno began as he sneered at the brothers. He briefly observed the surroundings, looking for the missing Avatar. "Now where's the other one…?"

Bolin and Mako ignored him.

"So that's why the Fire Ferrets haven't been playing." Then Tahno let out a laugh. "Don't tell me that your waterbender walked out on you guys _again?_ Pity…" He waited for a response. Getting none, Tahno sat down in the chair next to Mako. Smirking as he placed his elbows on the table, Tahno continued. "Although… I've always wondered how you two managed to get the_ Uh-vatar _to join your pathetic little team. She's _way_ out of your league."

Again, the brothers didn't respond.

Tahno raised an amused eyebrow as he glanced at the brothers. "So, you're giving me the silent treatment? That's fine."

"Tahno, just leave," Bolin said in a small voice, wishing that Naga was nearby to scare off the nasty waterbender.

"Why? You two looked so miserable. I'm here to cheer you up." Tahno answered with false generosity. "…Especially since you're missing a teammate."

"Leave," Mako growled, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.

Tahno placed a hand under his chin as if he was thinking it over. "Uh… no. Anyways, since your waterbender is missing, do you think I can get her to join the Wolfbats? She seems to be a pretty good firebender." He smiled at Mako, daring him to speak. "I wonder what would happen if _you _have to go up against her in a tiebreaker."

Mako clenched his fists.

"Mako, calm down," Bolin warned. "He's just trying to provoke you."

Even though Mako wasn't as hotheaded as Korra, it didn't mean that he didn't have his own episodes of fiery temper tantrums.

"For such a young girl, she sure has an _amazing _rack…" Tahno drawled. "I could stare at it all day."

Bolin panicked as he watched Mako tremble from rage.

"And she's so feisty. Imagine how amazing she would be in bed…" the Wolfbat spoke in a low tone.

Mako looked as if he was going to be sick.

"…extremely flexible…" Tahno continued his musings. "I wonder how far I can bend her…"

Much to Bolin's dismay, flames flared from Mako's nostrils. If Tahno continued, Bolin feared that he would not be able to restrain Mako from setting the entire restaurant on fire. Then Tahno leaned towards Mako's ear and whispered the cruder things he intended to do to Korra… all in graphic detail. Unfortunately, Bolin was close enough to hear.

"…tie her up and then…"

Mako took a deep breath, struggling to contain his rage. He swore to himself that he would never let that _freak_ get within a hundred feet near Korra.

"And then I would…" Tahno stopped, pretending to finally take notice of Mako's anger. "Hmm…? Someone's getting upset."

Tahno was quickly silenced when a fist collided with his face.

But Mako wasn't the one who hit him.

* * *

"One count of public disturbance, one count of extensive property damage, one count of aggravated assault…" Chief Beifong paused, "…and one count of _attempted murder_. I see that the young Avatar has been a bad influence on you."

"It was provoked!" a handcuffed Bolin protested while Mako groaned and rubbed his forehead. At that moment, Mako wished he had his brother's ability to earthbend, so he could dig up a hole and hide in it for the rest of his pitiful existence.

"It may have been provoked, but crass comments about the Avatar do not warrant an arrest," the chief of police calmly replied, crossing her arms and looking down at the seated earthbender. "However, fracturing someone's skull with a boulder does."

"But he was saying horrible things about Korra!" Bolin yelled. "It was sexual harassment!"

"Only if the Avatar was present at the scene… _then_ Korra would be able to press charges," she explained in a bored voice. "The prohibition of lewd comments, no matter how vulgar they are, would be a violation of a citizen's right to freedom of speech."

"But she's the Avatar!"

"And is she entitled to special treatment because of that?" Chief Beifong asked. That was a rhetorical question, of course.

"Yes, she_ is_ entitled to special treatment! Not only did Tahno make crass comments about Korra, he also made crass comments about Avatar Aang!" Bolin retorted.

"Oh?" The chief raised a curious eyebrow as she inclined her head slightly. "I don't recall hearing about _that_ in any of the eyewitnesses' accounts."

"W-Well, Korra technically—or spiritually—is Avatar Aang, so Tahno not only sexually harassed Korra… he also sexually harassed Avatar Aang and all the other Avatars that came before him," Bolin stammered.

Mako blinked and then groaned, slapping his forehead in exasperation. He was _so _mortified to the point where he would be willing to give up his bending—_and his precious scarf_, if he had it at the moment—in order for him and Bolin to be back in their apartment and away from this mess.

"An unconvincing argument… _but_ it does make sense in a way," Chief Beifong considered, titling her head in deep thought.

Bolin's face lit up.

"However, it doesn't matter because you broke four laws tonight," she said, holding up the same number of digits. "You'll be spending the night in a jail cell."

Bolin's mouth dropped. "B-But…"

"Though I guess I _could_ drop the charges," offered the chief.

"Really?" Bolin asked.

Chief Beifong had an uncharacteristic smirk on her face, almost as if the brothers' obvious discomfort amused her. That frightening smirk sent shivers down the their spines. "While I'm not particularly fond of the current Avatar, I don't appreciate it when someone talks about having Avatar Aang bent over a table and with—"

"_Please don't continue,"_ Mako begged as he forced down the bile that threatened to overspill into his mouth. He didn't need to have _that _image in his head.

Chief Beifong simply shrugged and waved a hand, causing Bolin's handcuffs to drop to the ground. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

"I'm sorry for causing all this trouble, Chief," Bolin said as he stood up and bowed in front of her. "Thank you."

Mako gave the chief a shocked look. "Wait, you're seriously letting my brother go?"

"I'm not afraid to break a few rules here and there," she answered casually as she watched her officers prepare to leave.

Mako could have sworn that he saw a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

The chief turned back to Bolin with a somewhat frightening, yet peculiar, frown that looked like upside-down smile. "Way to show some backbone, kid…" she said in a slightly impressed voice. "…unlike your _sissy_ brother."

Mako frowned at her sharp and unnecessary cruel words. He was _not _a sissy. However, if the chief was letting his brother go, then he wasn't going to complain.

Then the chief's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Where is the Avatar? She's not off damaging property again, is she?" she asked, surveying the brothers.

"Nope," Bolin answered. "She's not earthbending the streets or burning down any buildings here. However, she could be earthbending streets or burning buildings in the South Pole since she's visiting home."

It almost looked as if Chief Beifong was disappointed, though she would never admit that the rambunctious Avatar was growing on her. _Like a mosquito on a cow hippo_, thought Chief Beifong. "Just be sure that you monitor her when she gets back."

"Don't worry. When Korra gets back, my big brother and I will personally make sure that the teenage Avatar will not wantonly—_or intentionally_—deface city property, or flagrantly disobey the law in her vigilante schemes to take down Amon and his Equalists," Bolin deadpanned before breaking into a large grin.

Chief Beifong frowned, uncertain whether the young earthbender would be able to keep his promise. She turned to Mako. "And make sure that your brother does not engage in any… _violent _crimes. I don't want to waste my officers' precious time to arrest him."

Mako nodded stiffly before grabbing Bolin and taking off. The two raced down the streets, laughing along the way. After all, they just faced down probably the scariest woman in the entire city and managed to get away unscathed.

"Hey Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"Chief Beifong is _so _cool!"

* * *

The second a wild—_and somewhat insane—_Avatar came flying through the attic's window was the very same second Mako knew that he was in for one heck of a night. Without a word, that same Avatar grabbed Mako and pulled him out of his comfortable bed.

"Korra!" Mako hissed as the crazy girl dragged him across the room with her superior strength. "What are you—_Oh no…"_

An almost sinister grin appeared on Korra's features upon seeing Mako's horrified face. "_Oh,_ yes!"

"No, Korra! I don't want to jump outside the window and fall to my death!" he yelled, hoping that his brother would wake and rescue him from whatever mischief the Avatar had in mind.

Korra laughed. "Relax. We're just going out for a swim."

"_A swim?"_ Mako paled drastically. "NO!"

"Just chill, City Boy. I won't let you drown." She smiled at him, like a predator cornering its prey.

"That wasn't what I meant! It just so happens to be four in the morning, and I have to be at work in exactly three hours!"

Korra didn't respond. Instead, she chucked him outside with relative ease.

"KORRA! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Of course, Mako didn't mean it. Sometimes being thrown outside a tall building and sent plummeting to your death could make you say a lot of things you don't mean.

After exercising the foulest words he knew in the most creative combinations, Mako found himself getting closer to the concrete ground. In a futile attempt to save his sorry ass, Mako raised his arms to generate some flames in hopes of slowing his descent. Before the fire shot out, he found himself enveloped in a bubble of salt water before sinking deep into the frigid bay.

_That damn idiot! _Mako thought to himself as he swam up to the surface. Sputtering curses, his eyes scanned the water for Korra. _Now where is she?_

"I learned some interesting words and phrases just now," came her jovial voice. Mako turned his head and saw Korra swimming towards him with a grin that was far too happy for his liking. Then he saw that she was still wearing his scarf.

"You… You just threw me out of a window," Mako stated, as if she didn't remember the last minute.

"Wasn't it fun?" She then laughed.

Mako silently fumed. She even had the nerve to laugh at their current predicament. "What? Falling out of a window? _Sure_, that was a blast." Mako deadpanned.

"But didn't it feel like you were flying?" Korra asked as she waved her arms animatedly.

"No, it felt like I was falling. _Falling to my death!"_ he shouted. At that moment, Mako considered the prospect of surrendering Korra to Chief Beifong under the charge of _attempted murder. _If he was lucky, the chief might also charge her for disturbing the peace—_Mako's _peace, to be exact. He would just have to conveniently leave out the part where she waterbended him into the bay.

"Eh, you can swim, right?"

Mako rolled his eyes. _"Nooo…_ I'm currently drowning in Yue Bay, waiting for someone to come and save me," he muttered sarcastically.

Korra blinked at him.

"Of course I can swim!" he suddenly yelled, splashing her as he thrashed his arms. If he was in his right of mind, he probably would have known better than to piss off Korra in her natural element. She could drown him right then and there, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. "You are so immature!"

Korra pouted before lunging at him. However instead of tackling him, she planted her lips firmly on his. "Feel better," she asked after pulling away.

"Y-You're…" Mako shook his head. "Don't think that a kiss will excuse this behavior from you!"

Korra gave him a mischievous smirk in response. It was as if her trip back to the South Pole had recharged her. Now she was like a hyperactive rabaroo, ready to wreck havoc upon Republic City. "Aren't you happy that I'm back?" she asked.

Mako attempted to scowl, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "Happy that you're back? _Yes_. Happy that you threw me out of my apartment and into the bay? No, I'm furious!" he answered, albeit in a teasing manner—well, _teasing_ for someone who just nearly died.

Korra didn't say anything, misinterpreting his sarcasm and perhaps regretting her actions.

Mako noticed her silence. "Okay, I'm really happy that you're back even though you just threw me into the bay. Now can you _please _waterbend me up to the apartment? Seriously, I have work soon and I need my sleep."

Korra frowned, her bottom lip sticking out in an adorable manner. "Why do you need to work so hard? Do you like working?" she asked as she swam closer to him.

Mako slowly backed away, putting some distance in between them. "No, I—"

"Then quit!" Korra interrupted, her voice loud and confident. "Live with me on Air Temple Island. It's free rent in exchange for babysitting the airbender kids."

"I don't know…"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Korra urged as she grabbed his arm. She frowned when she realized that his arm was scrawnier than she remembered.

"I'll think about it."

She poked at his ribs. "You're a lot skinnier than before I left. We need to fatten you up. Tomorrow, you're going out on a date with me. The airbender kids once took me to this great bakery that makes the best egg custards!"

Mako let out an amused chuckle. "Is that why you threw me out of the window? To ask me on a date?"

Korra nodded. "Yup. And if you refuse, I'll drown you right now."

"You're crazy!"

"Then is that a yes?"

Mako sighed. "Fine."

* * *

**A/N:** That's the end of Part I. And yes, I do realize that this outdated (Tahno here is still a jerk and he hasn't lost his bending yet).

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. Please don't forget to leave a review.


	2. Chapter 2

_Flying to the Heavens_

_Part Two of Two_

The panda lily, a black and white flower universally acknowledged as a symbol of love and often used to woo the heart of a significant other. However, because of the flower's specific requirements for growth—such as the precise humidity and the exact volcanic soil composition of the environment—one could not simply pick a single panda lily from a nearby open meadow. A rarity difficult to acquire, the panda lily could only be found on the rim of the volcanoes somewhere in the Earth Kingdom… meaning that one must make a journey up a volcano—_perhaps an active one_—and thus, making the panda lily infamously known for its hefty price tag.

Unfortunately, Mako was forced to settle for fire lilies instead, leaving the panda lily for some rich bloke to woo an unfortunate female into an ill-fated romance. As Mako left the florist, he heard Bolin's voice in his head chiding him for not saving enough money for the panda lily. In response, Mako mentally scolded the imaginary Bolin for spending their savings on 'emergency groceries'—_Bolin's words, of course_—consisting but not limited to three dozen eggs, two pounds of komodo chicken, a giant fruit tart, and about twenty cups of Flameo Instant Noodles.

After making his way across the bay via the ferry and to Air Temple Island, Mako was immediately bombarded by two miniature airbenders upon taking a step inside the temple building

"He's here! He's here!" Ikki exclaimed as she hopped up and down. She then eyed the flowers in Mako's hand. "You should have gotten her a panda lily," she said with a frown.

Mako inwardly pouted and considered whether he should go back to the florist or not.

"But fire lilies are pretty too," Jinora commented as she stepped forward. "Bringing flowers on your first date? _Very_ romantic," the elder airbender child said with a sly wink.

"Oh! Oh! You're going on a date with Korra? Do you think Korra's pretty?" Ikki asked while bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Well? Do you think she's pretty?"

Mako tried to resist the urge to smile at the young airbenders, but the corners of his mouth somehow managed to slowly twitch upwards. "Well, I think she's very pretty," he awkwardly confessed.

At this, the two girls clasped their hands and beamed with subsequent squeals of joy. "Oh, Korra is going to be so happy when she sees you," Ikki gleefully cried out.

Mako smiled as he watched the two girls. He then picked two fire lilies and gave one to each sister. Jinora placed her flower in her hair and helped Ikki do the same. "Now you both look pretty," he said.

The two girls grinned before taking off to find the missing Avatar. Seconds later, the two walk out with an unusually shy and somewhat resistant Korra. Mako noticed that Korra wasn't wearing her usual Water Tribe clothes. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a navy blue dress with long sleeves and a skirt that ended mid-thigh. Underneath that, she had dark leggings and a pair of black boots. There was no doubt in Mako's mind that Asami had a hand in choosing Korra's outfit.

"Come on, Korra," Jinora quietly encouraged as she gently pushed the Avatar forward.

"Hey," Korra nervously greeted as she brushed a loose strand of hair from the side of her face. She wasn't quite used to having her hair down. "Do I look alright?" she asked in a quiet and hesitant voice.

"You look…" Mako trailed off, unsure how to continue.

Disappointment quickly appeared on Korra's face at Mako's pause and she instantly regretted her new attire.

"…nice," Mako managed to finish with a small smile.

Korra's face brightened. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mako awkwardly responded as he handed the fire lilies to Korra. "These are for you."

Korra took the flowers with a quizzical expression. "What's this?" she asked with a raised brow.

In the background, Mako could see the airbender girls placing their hands over their faces and shaking their heads as a display of embarrassment, frustration, and disappointment over Korra's naiveté.

"These are flowers," Mako slowly said, enunciating every word as if he was explaining to a child.

"I know that they are flowers," she snapped back at him, clearly peeved at his patronizing voice. Then Korra examined the bouquet in her hand with a careful eye. "So, why are you giving me this?"

Mako resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Because I'm supposed to."

"Why?"

"It's what guys are supposed to do when they take a girl out."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Because…" Mako paused and shook his head. "Forget it. Just take the damn flowers."

Korra frowned, her bottom lip sticking out slightly in an adorable pout, before she responded with a small sigh. "Thank you for the flowers," she said as she gingerly cradled the bouquet in her arms. "I don't have flowers back home."

By home, Mako assumed that she had meant the South Pole. "Yeah, because ice and snow are _so _great for flowers."

Korra responded to his sarcasm with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Give me a second to get some water for these," she said before taking off.

As Mako watched Korra's retreating back, he couldn't help but feel unnerved by the stares the grinning airbender girls were sending him. When he turned his head to look at them, they suddenly broke into giggles and started whispering to each other. Suddenly, Mako felt as if he was once again the same awkward, homeless kid on the street that the rich kids stared at.

"I'm ready now," Korra said as she suddenly appeared by his side. She quickly took his arm and led him out the door while waving a quick goodbye to her adoptive little sisters—or spiritual granddaughters. "So," she began, walking him towards the docks, "where are we going?"

"Well, you mentioned something about taking me to a bakery and…"

"Oh! I remember now!" Korra interrupted with a wide smile. "We're going to force-feed you a ton of egg custards until you're as heavy as Naga!"

"Right…" Mako slowly said. He started to wonder if he would regret this night.

* * *

"Come on, Mako. Just one more bite. Please?"

Mako stared at the tiny pastry in front of him, a delightful treat consisting of a sweet custard with a flakey, buttery crust.

"Please?" Korra repeated, looking at him with her large, pleading eyes. "It'll make me happy."

"It'll make me sick," Mako sharply retorted. "I've already eaten _at least_ twenty of these things," he said as he pushed the pastry towards Korra's end of the table.

Korra scoffed. "I can eat _thirty_ of these. _And_ I'm a girl."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Yes, I think we all know that you eat as much as a flying bison."

Korra let out an exaggerated gasp and crossed her arms, shooting Mako the deadliest glare she could muster—though it looked far more adorable than frightening.

In response, Mako merely rolled his eyes. Then he picked up the pastry and held it up to Korra's face. "Open wide," he said, waiting for her to take a bite.

A pink tint appeared on Korra's cheeks as she pouted and turned away. "I don't want it," she responded in a childish voice.

The corners of Mako's mouth lifted up slightly. "But I thought the mighty Avatar said that she could eat _thirty_ egg custards."

"Of course I can!" Korra replied in a defensive voice. "When I _feel_ like it…" she quietly added. She eyed the pastry disdainfully. "Just throw it away."

Mako frowned. "Throw it away?"

"Yes, throw it away," Korra repeated. "No one wants to eat it."

Mako looked at the pastry in front of him. "I hate wasting food," he quietly said.

Korra simply shrugged her shoulders. "Then you eat it," she responded in a irritated tone.

A childhood memory suddenly appeared in Mako's head. He was ten and Bolin had just turned eight. They were standing on the sidewalk and had their faces pressed up to the window of a bakery shop—one not unlike this one. He could remember hearing the loud growls of their stomachs upon seeing the small cakes being laid in front of them.

"Fine," Mako snapped before taking the egg custard and shoving it into his mouth. He chewed it for several moments while glaring at Korra's smug face before forcing it down. The queasiness in his stomach didn't settle.

"That wasn't so hard," Korra said with a satisfied smile.

Mako narrowed his eyes at her. "Whatever," he mumbled as he moved to stand. "Let's get out of here."

Korra didn't say anything as she followed him out the door. When they were near a dark alley, Mako suddenly went knee-bent, hunching forward and leaning on the brick wall for support.

"Mako!" Korra called to him as she rushed forward.

Mako then fell on all fours and began vomiting the contents in his stomach. He barely noticed Korra kneeling beside him, rubbing his back and whispering soothing phrases. When it was just about over, he looked down and saw that his beloved red scarf was stained with yellowish-white chunky pieces. "Argh…" he groaned as he leaned against Korra's body. As he let his eyes close for a moment, he heard Korra sputter her apologies in between quiet sobs… something about her promising him that she'll never force him to eat egg custards again.

Somehow, it didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

"I'm really sorry," Korra said wistfully as she sat beside a quiet Mako, who was lying on the couch. She reached forward and touched his shoulder. She had just finished washing his spoiled clothes and hung them up to dry. "Please don't hate me," she whispered.

Mako didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to look up at her. Upon seeing the genuine remorse on her face, he realized that he couldn't stay angry at her. "It's late," he said. "Shouldn't you be heading back?" he asked, referring to Air Temple Island.

"I called Tenzin and told him that I was taking care of you," Korra answered. She waited for some kind of a response, but didn't get one. Letting out a heavy sigh, Korra moved to stand. "You guys are running low on groceries again. I'm going to head to the market to see if I can get some food."

Mako reached forward to catch her hand. "I don't hate you." He needed her to know that.

Korra gave him a small smile. "I'll be back soon."

Mako didn't let go. "No, I'll take care of that tomorrow morning. It's not your job."

Korra let out a sigh and reluctantly sat back down. "Mako, I know I told you this before," she said as she moved to rest her upper body on top of Mako's, "…it's okay to accept someone's help. You don't need to act so tough all the time."

Mako didn't want to continue this conservation. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "Once you finally learn to airbend, you'll be able to fly… right?"

"Well, sort of…" Korra answered. "I might need a glider, but I'll be able to fly."

Mako adjusted his body to make room for Korra to lie beside him. "You're lucky that you can airbend. If I could airbend, the first thing I would do is fly up to the heavens."

Korra raised a brow. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked. Then she remembered what he told her about his parents and frowned. Though she may not be as spiritual as she ought to be, Korra knew that the living had no business with the dead.

"I don't know," Mako quietly answered. "It's just something I've been thinking about."

Korra pursed her lips as she wrapped her arms around Mako. "As soon as I learn to airbend, the first thing I'm going to do is challenge Ikki to an air scooter race."

"Right, because beating a five-year-old child is such a _fulfilling_ accomplishment," Mako said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

"Hey," Korra protested. "Ikki isn't just a regular five-year-old airbender. She's a fast one too!"

"And I'm sure that Tenzin will be so proud of this future achievement," Mako responded in a teasing voice.

Korra pouted. "It's better than flying up to the heavens," she said. "If you want to do that, just take one of the sky bison."

"But it won't be the same," Mako argued. "It's like having someone else do the work for you. I'd rather fly up there myself."

"But you can't do that," Korra reminded him. "You're not an airbender."

Mako let out a heavy sigh, slightly frustrated with Korra's lack of understanding... or his own lack of communication. "And that's why you're so lucky, Korra. You can bend water, earth, fire, and air."

"Just three elements out of the four," she corrected. Then she turned over to look at him. "Here's an idea. As soon as I master airbending, I'll take you out for a ride on my future glider. Katara says that she and Aang used to do it all the time. It'll be fun."

"No thanks," Mako said, recalling Korra's ineptness for the bending the element of air. "I'm afraid that you'll drop me and send me falling to my death," he joked, recalling the night when Korra threw him out of the window.

"Mako!" Korra whined. "I'm serious about this!"

Mako let out a small chuckle. "I'll think about it," he said, deciding that it was a better answer than saying no.

Seeming satisfied with his response, Korra moved to rest her head beside Mako's chest. "I heard that Bolin is applying for the University. He mentioned something about you forcing him to study for the entrance exam."

"You're not going to talk me out of making him apply, are you?" Mako asked, knowing fully well that Korra often sided with Bolin during their brotherly quarrels.

"I think it's a great idea," Korra said. "Maybe he can get a scholarship. If not, I'll ask Tenzin to sponsor him."

"He'll get that scholarship," Mako firmly replied. "There's no need to bother Tenzin."

Korra let out a quiet sigh. "Stubborn idiot," she mumbled.

Mako only rolled his eyes at her response.

* * *

Later that night, after a long day studying at the library, Bolin and his trusty fire ferret arrived at the apartment to find both Korra and Mako curled up on the couch. Normally, Bolin wouldn't mind the obvious display of affection (in fact, he is quite used to it); however, he did spend many tedious hours poring over large leather-bound books, and to say that he was cranky would be a severe understatement.

"_Oh_, come on," Bolin loudly groaned, waking the slumbering couple. "Stop screwing around with each other on the couch! I actually sit there!"

"Bolin," a groggy Korra said as she moved to sit up, "we weren't doing anything…"

"I don't mind seeing the two of you hug and kiss and do stuff like that!" Bolin interrupted. "But if you're going to screw each other, at least have the decency to get a room!"

"We still have our clothes—"

"Don't interrupt me, Mako!" Bolin exclaimed. "The stupid exam is coming up in a few weeks and I have to ace that thing so I can get the stupid scholarship, otherwise my stupid brother will end up working himself to death to pay for the stupid tuition! I don't need this extra stress!" Sometime during Bolin's tirade, a frightened Pabu scampered off Bolin's shoulder and ran into Korra's arms.

"What extra stress?" a confused Mako asked.

Bolin let his jaw drop, as if he was genuinely surprised that Mako couldn't see the obvious answer. "I'm scared that _she's_ going to get pregnant!" Bolin shouted, gesturing to a seated Korra.

"_Me?!"_ a surprised Korra managed to squeak.

"Yes, you!" Bolin continued. "You're a mature female. Mako's a mature male. Together, you two can make a baby… And yes, Korra, you'll be carrying the baby."

Mako frowned as he crossed his arms. "What makes you think that Korra will get pregnant anytime soon?"

"Uh, hello?" Bolin moved over to gesture at Korra's body. "Have you not noticed? You're dating a hot babe! It's only a matter of time before you screw her!"

Korra's face suddenly reddened at Bolin's words and she abruptly stopped stroking Pabu's head. "Eh… thanks?" she said to the Bolin, unsure whether that was the correct response or not.

"Bro!" Mako hissed, clearly embarrassed. "Just because Korra is a… uh, an attractive female, it does _not _mean that I want to screw her."

"Lies! Lies, I say!" Bolin exclaimed. Then he turned to the young Avatar. "Korra—_as much as I love having you here because you're so much more fun than my sissy brother_—you can't stay here anymore! I'm not ready to be an uncle! I'm not ready to take care of a kid!"

"Calm down," Mako said as he cautiously approached his upset brother.

"Accidents happen!" Bolin shouted. Then his eyes darkened as his voice took on an ominous tone. "Mark my words. One of these days, when the two of you are feeling hot and needy, you will screw each other and, Korra, you _will_ get pregnant."

Mako let out an exasperated sigh. "Bolin, you're exhausted and stressed out. You should go to bed," he tried to reason.

Bolin took a sudden step back as Mako approached him. "Not until you promise me that you will not engage in any unlawful sexual activities—Mako, you do know that Korra is underage, right? She's _only _seventeen. If you get caught, it'd be statutory rape and Chief Beifong would have to arrest you!"

Mako rolled his eyes as he raised his right hand. "I solemnly swear that I will not have sex with Korra."

Korra raised her hand too. "And I will personally make an Avatar promise that I will not engage in any sexual activities with your brother."

Bolin narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the couple. Then he spotted Pabu sitting in Korra's lap.

"Pabu!"

The fire ferret's ears perked at Bolin's voice.

"Don't you dare go messing with some _lady _fire ferret!" Bolin shouted, his nostrils flaring dangerously. Taking care of you and my idiot brother is hard enough already!"

Pabu let out a squeak before scurrying off, and Bolin quickly followed behind.

In the meantime, the Avatar shook her head as she watched the scene enfold in front of her. "I think studying has caused him to go a _little_ crazy," Korra commented. "Do you still think this is a good idea?"

"If he gets into the University, enduring his mental breakdowns will be worth it," Mako said, though he wasn't completely sure of his answer.

* * *

"I was in a _very _dark place, Korra. I don't want to go back there again," Bolin explained as he shuddered. "All I remember is being so angry all the time. Does this make any sense to you?"

"Mmm…" Korra nodded as she eyed the boutiques they walked past. "But you should be happy. All of your hard work finally paid off," she said, recalling a happy Mako telling her the news. He was practically skipping around Air Temple Island, spreading the wondrous news to everyone within earshot. It was quite an alarming sight to see the normally stoic firebender behave like an overexcited teenage girl.

"Of course I'm happy," Bolin answered. "I'm actually excited to start my classes. I'll be learning more about the history of the Hundred Year War."

"Hey," Korra spoke up. "I was actually there. If you wanted to know about the war, then why didn't you ask me?"

"Eh… no offense," Bolin began, "but you were a skinny, bald dude back then… and I don't think you have any memories of your past life yet."

"Oh _boo_," Korra said, blowing a raspberry. "I'll connect with my past lives one day, you'll see." Then she stopped when something in a store's window caught her eye. "Hey Bolin, what do you think of this?"

"Hmm…?" Bolin followed Korra's gaze. "It's a pretty dress," he commented nonchalantly. "Blue _really_ is your favorite color."

"Think I should get it?" Korra asked.

Bolin's eyes narrowed as he looked at dress and then back to Korra, trying to imagine the girl in something other than her usual baggy pants. "You should try it on first," he finally said.

"You think?"

Bolin rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah. I mean, you can't buy a dress without trying it on. What if it's too small for you?" Anticipating Korra's negative response, Bolin raised his hands defensively. "Sorry, but you can't deny it. You eat a lot for a girl."

Korra frowned, crossing her arms and pouting adorably. Though she hated to admit it, Bolin was right. "I'm not fat," she quietly mumbled.

"Of course not," Bolin quickly responded, placing an arm around the insecure girl and leading her into the shop. "You're a very healthy and fit lady. Other girls are envious of your body."

The young Avatar looked away gloomily. "Why would they envy me? Have you seen my arms? I look like a boy," she said, recalling the tabloids that have accused her of having an unfeminine body.

"Nonsense," Bolin said as he grabbed Korra's shoulders and faced her. "You _are_ a hot babe with a killer body. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise."

Korra frowned, unconvinced despite Bolin's insistence. "Right…" she said.

* * *

A thousand thoughts ran through Mako's mind as he eyed the notice in his hand. What was he going to do now? There wasn't much time left. Then the door of the apartment opened up and a cheerful Bolin appeared. "Ladies and gentlemen—_oh, and Mako too_…" he trailed off, eyeing his brother.

"Bolin, what are you doing?" an exasperated Mako asked.

"Please welcome…" Bolin continued, ignoring his brother, "…_the_ amazing Avatar Korra!"

Then Korra entered the apartment, twirling around in her new dress.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Bolin asked, nudging his brother.

Mako frowned. He recalled seeing that same dress before. Then his mood quickly turned sour. "Bolin, quit wasting time shopping," Mako snapped at the younger male.

"Oh, Mako," Korra began, making her merry way towards the elder brother. "We were just having fun, and the University doesn't start until next week." Then she spotted the sheet of paper in Mako's hand. Before he had the chance to react, she snatched it from him.

"Korra," Mako protested, trying to take the paper back.

"You're being evicted?!" she exclaimed upon reading the notice. Anger quickly appeared on her face. "They can't do this to you!"

"What…?" a stunned Bolin took the notice from Korra's hand. "Bro! Why didn't you tell us that we were having money trouble? …And rent was raised _again?!"_

"You weren't supposed to see that," Mako growled, glowering at the younger teenagers. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure things out."

"That's what you always say," Bolin interrupted. "Why don't you ever ask me for help? I'm not a little kid anymore. You don't need to protect me from these things. Look, maybe I can take out some loans…"

"Or you can live with me on Air Temple Island," Korra quickly offered. "It _is _free rent."

"We can do that too," Bolin said with a smile. "Yeah, that's a much better idea," he muttered to Korra.

"No," replied Mako. "Korra, I already told you that I _don't _need your help. Bolin and I will be fine on our own."

"_Sure…"_ Korra scoffed, "like you're _not _getting kicked out of your home."

"Shut up, Korra!" Mako suddenly snapped, surprising the other occupants in the room. "Why can't you leave us alone? This is none of your business!"

"It _is _my business when my boyfriend and his brother are going to be homeless!" Korra yelled. "Quit being such a stubborn idiot. Suck it up and accept my help!"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of both my brother and myself!" Mako yelled back. "I've been doing it nearly all my life!"

"Well, you haven't been doing a very good job of it lately!" Korra paused and took a deep breath. "If you're not going to take my offer, then at least let Bolin move in with me," she said in a soft, but sharp tone. "He doesn't need to suffer because of your pigheadedness."

Mako narrowed his eyes at the defiant Avatar who returned his glare with equal intensity. "Fine then," he managed to say despite seething with anger. With that said, Mako turned around and stormed out of the apartment, ignoring a protesting Bolin. The younger male then winced noticeably upon hearing the door slam shut.

Suddenly feeling somewhat guilty for her angry outburst—_though she would adamantly argue that it was mostly Mako's stubbornness at fault_—a worried Korra turned towards to Bolin. "Hey?" she softly called out, almost as quiet as a whisper.

"Yes?"

"I think your brother and I just broke up."

"No, you didn't," Bolin replied, trying to assure the worried Avatar. "Mako was just being dramatic," he quietly said aloud, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was true. Then Bolin took a cautious step towards Korra. "I'll need some help packing my things."

The two then quickly proceeded to pack Bolin's belongings. As Korra grabbed some of Bolin's sweaters, she spotted Mako's wallet and picked it up. As she expected, it was empty save for a crumpled grocery list. Korra then glanced over at Bolin from the corner of her eye. When she was sure that he wasn't looking, she stuffed the little money she had inside the wallet before tossing it back onto the couch.

Suddenly, Korra jumped at the clap of thunder. She quickly looked outside and saw the rain pouring heavily on the streets below. Her first immediate thought was Mako. Then she scowled, remembering the stubborn independence displayed earlier.

"I think that I'm ready," Bolin said as he grabbed his bags. "Shouldn't we wait for Mako?" he asked, finally noticing the storm outside.

"We can wait for him on Air Temple Island," Korra answered, taking a bag from Bolin's hand as she walked towards the door. "I don't think he wants to see me for a long time," she quietly said.

* * *

Sitting alone on a bench somewhere downtown wasn't exactly what Mako anticipated on doing that night. He didn't anticipate the thunderous storm either. The fight with Korra, however, he had expected that kind of reaction as soon as she heard the news. He just didn't plan on her knowing so soon.

"Mako, is that you?"

Mako looked up to see a familiar female standing in front of him with an umbrella in her hand. He never thought that he would see this particular female for at least a _very_ long time. "Oh, hey Asami," he greeted as casually as one would greet a former girlfriend.

"What are you doing out in the storm?" Asami asked, moving the umbrella to shelter them both from the pounding rain. "You're completely soaked. You're going to get sick."

Mako merely shrugged, not really caring the slightest bit. Instead, he slouched forward and continued to brood as he was doing before.

"You know," Asami began, moving to sit beside him despite getting her heavy skirt wet, "just because we're exes, it doesn't mean that we can't be friends. We don't have to keep avoiding each other."

"I haven't been avoiding you," Mako replied, though it wasn't the complete truth. "It's just that I've been so busy with things."

"Right…" Asami turned her green eyes to him. "Like being a stubborn idiot and working yourself to death," she said with a subtle roll of her eyes.

"You've been talking to Korra lately, haven't you?" Mako asked despite already knowing the answer.

"Of course," Asami answered with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She _is _my best female friend despite the fact that she stole my old boyfriend," she said in a joking voice without any hint of bitterness. "Okay, maybe _stole _is a harsh word…." Asami looked at Mako for a response and frowned upon not receiving one. "By the way, how was your date with Korra? I helped her choose her outfit."

"Great," Mako mumbled sarcastically. "I ended up puking on the street."

Asami raised a curious brow. "Oh?" she quietly urged him to continue.

"I rather not talk about Korra," Mako nearly snapped, anger apparent on his features.

"Are you and Korra having… problems?" Asami hesitantly asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Mako didn't answer, ignoring the girl and continuing to glare at a nearby streetlight. He then heard a weary sigh and felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mako, you need to communicate with her," Asami firmly said, offering the most important advice she knew from her short-lived romance. "If we talked to each other more, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten so messed up between us," she added in a quiet voice, recalling their breakup.

Again, Mako didn't respond.

Asami fought the urge to roll her eyes—perhaps some of the Avatar's mannerisms were rubbing off on her. She took a small breath and straightened her posture, poised like the elegant woman she is. "Sitting outside in the rain with my ex isn't how I expected that I'd spend my night," Asami casually said. "How about I take you out to a late dinner or something?"

"You're not obligated to do that," Mako answered. "We're not dating anymore."

"True, but that doesn't mean that I can't hang out with a good friend," she responded with a small smile.

* * *

Somewhere on Air Temple Island, an anxious Avatar waited for a certain firebender to arrive. "I'm getting worried," Korra said while staring outside the window and across the bay. "I called the apartment and no one answered."

"Of course no one answered," Bolin said. "He's probably crashing at his new apartment."

Korra then recalled Mako's empty wallet. Surely the few bills she added weren't enough for a new apartment in such short notice. "I don't know."

"I'm sure he's fine," Bolin replied while attempting to teach Pabu a new trick—which may or may not involve fire and a rubber spatula. "He can take care of himself. He did manage to survive on the streets as a little kid and raise me at the same time."

"Right," Korra quietly mumbled, unconvinced by Bolin's words.

* * *

"Do you have a place to stay?" Asami asked as she pushed her half-eaten meal towards Mako.

"Don't worry about it," Mako answered.

Asami narrowed her eyes, her lips turning into a displeased frown. "You said that Bolin is staying with Korra. Why don't you stay with them?"

Mako responded by giving Asami an exasperated sigh for the umpteenth time that night.

"Because of your stupid pride?" she offered for him.

"Because I don't need Korra's help," Mako corrected. Having already finished his meal, he reached into his pocket, searching for his wallet. "Crap," he muttered upon realization that he had forgotten it.

"I got it," Asami said, pulling out an ornate, violet wallet adorned with small crystal beading. She waved down the waiter for the check and, gesturing to her unfinished meal, asked him to box her dinner,. The waiter took her plate and quickly returned with a small carton and paper bag. "Here," Asami said, handing Mako the bag. "This is your breakfast for tomorrow."

Mako looked at the packaged food and then back at Asami's face. Her eyes were firm and unwavering. "Thanks," he said. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

Asami didn't say anything in return. Instead, she sadly turned away and muttered something barely audible to Mako's ears.

"You're going to end up killing yourself one day."

* * *

Two weeks have passed since that fateful argument with Korra and his dinner date with Asami. Since then, Mako had been hard at work at the power plant and running errands for local businesses. And somehow, he managed to save enough money for a place he could proudly call his home—which so happened to be a dingy room in an equally dingy, rundown building with no other living occupants. Well, _human _occupants to be specific. Mako did happen to find a large family of rats sharing the floorboards with him.

So maybe Mako didn't exactly_ save_ the money to live there—since there wasn't a money-hungry landlord to demand ridiculous rent fees—but he was saving up for a nicer apartment across town, one without any unwanted guests. Maybe in six months, he can finally get a place with decent plumbing.

Aside from the rodents, the place _wasn't_ at all that bad. The room he was occupying was quite spacious with a cot in the corner and a small table in the center. Plus, Mako didn't have to share the room with any roommates, nor was he forced to deal with any obnoxious neighbors. And outside the window was a spectacular view of Air Temple Island, though it was much to Mako's dismay as it brought back unpleasant memories of his last meeting with a certain hotheaded Avatar.

Then taking into account of the advantages of living in the rundown building—especially the financial advantages—Mako thought it was quite curious that he was the only human occupying the establishment. Surely some homeless person would have stumbled upon this place long before Mako moved in. He then wondered if someone had died somewhere in the building—_maybe_ in the very room he was sleeping in. Then of course, there were a lot of news articles about unsolved murders that occur in the abandoned buildings in the rundown parts of Republic City.

So the chances of someone being murdered in this building were… _quite likely_.

Then from the corner of his eye, Mako spotted something in the air outside his window. It was one of the airbending children, one of the female ones—either Ikki or Jinora, if Mako recalled their names correctly—and she flew in circles above the bay with her air glider. And then she got higher and higher, nearly disappearing into the clouds before swooping down and flying back towards the island.

He wondered how soon the day would come when he would see Korra soaring above the bay with her own air glider, flying higher and higher to the heavens. A frown appeared on his face when he realized that he missed his girlfriend.

Actually, he missed her a lot.

And he missed his brother a lot too. After all, he couldn't recall the last time he was alone for such a long period.

Then Mako looked outside the window, imagining four airbenders—Korra plus the airbender children—with their gliders flying around Republic City, though he wasn't sure if Chief Beifong would appreciate a crazy Avatar flying haphazardly on her streets.

But then, wouldn't it be nice to jump into the air and go wherever you want?

Of course, such idealistic dreams were impossible for Mako.

* * *

"Get out of the way!"

Mako fell as a burly, masked figure rammed into his back, knocking the bag groceries out of his arms. When Mako looked up, he saw three metalbender officers chasing the man—who Mako assumed to be a thief because of the suspicious brown sac he was carrying. Then the thief shot out a large blast of flames, knocking the metalbenders back. Upon seeing the fallen officers and no one else in sight able to go after the masked man, Mako decided to take action; he sped after the criminal, dodging fiery blasts sent his way—it was almost as if he was in a pro-bending match, except that he didn't have the safety of his protective suit or his two teammates to cover him.

The thief led Mako into a dark alley before turning around and taking a swing at Mako, who instinctively ducked underneath the outstretched arm. Then Mako, while avoiding punches and kicks, somehow managed to move his arms in a familiar curricular motion and shot out lightning. Mako, unlike most firebenders, had very precise control over his lightning and merely stunned the thief instead of killing him.

Not soon after, a swarm of metalbeder cops appeared and quickly apprehended the thief without a single word of thanks to Mako. As they led the cursing thief away, Mako saw Chief Beifong slowly approaching him.

"Oh, it's you," Beifong said with a hint of distaste on her tongue before quietly observing the scene.

Mako grimaced, recalling his last confrontation with the fearsome woman. "Uh, hi," he awkwardly greeted, hoping that she wouldn't come up with an excuse to arrest him.

Beifong narrowed her eyes at Mako, taking notice of his alarmingly skinny frame compared to the last time she saw him a few weeks ago. She then recalled Tenzin casually telling her that one of the Avatar's friends was having financial troubles and that he was _'being a stupid butthead by working himself to death'_ at the power plant—though Beifong had a sinking suspicion that those last couple of words came directly from the Avatar's mouth. "Well… eh, is…" she began, unsure how to continue. "…Is everything alright?"

Mako raised a brow at her question. "Sure, everything's been just peachy," he lied.

_From the looks of it, you haven't had a decent meal in weeks,_ Beifong voiced in her head. "I didn't know that the new definition of _'peachy'_ meant looking worse for wear." Upon seeing the displeased look on Mako's face, Beifong decided that it wasn't best to continue the topic. "I saw you take down that thief with lightning," she said. "For a moment there, I was worried that I would have to arrest you on the charge of murder."

"Uh, thanks," Mako said, unsure whether she was complimenting him or not.

Beifong paused for a moment. Out of all the Avatar's friends, she was fond of this one the least—aside from the Avatar herself, of course. However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't be inclined to help him out. "I could use more men like you on the force."

A confused Mako blinked. "Are you saying that I should join the police force?" He shook his head. "I don't have an education or any decent credentials."

"An education means _diddly-squat_ in determining a worthy officer of the law. And being friends with the Avatar—_no matter how reckless and abrasive she is_—says a lot about one's character." Beifong took a hand and placed it on Mako's shoulder as a subtle attempt to assure him of his worth. "I always trust the Avatar's instinct regardless whether the Avatar is Aang or Korra."

Mako didn't say anything.

"Of course, you'll have to enroll in the Police Academy," Beifong said. "You'll get your education there."

Mako frowned. "But I'm not an earthbender."

"I don't need more earthbenders."

Mako didn't know what to say. To be able to work for the police force would mean having a stable income and a better lifestyle; but he also had to consider the dangers that came with chasing dangerous criminals.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

Later that same week, Mako arrived at the power plant for his night shift only to find a polar bear dog sitting on the corner of the street. As he got closer, he saw a familiar girl dozing on top of the giant animal.

"Korra?" Mako called out, effectively waking the sleeping Avatar.

A groggy Korra slowly rose with a tired yawn and her eyes settled on the young male in front of her. "Mako!" she cried out in recognition.

"Eh… hi," Mako awkwardly greeted, somewhat quite pleased to see her after so long.

Korra didn't give Mako a chance to react; she leaped off her polar bear dog and literally pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips as she kissed him feverishly, nearly bruising their lips in the process. Mako returned her affections with equal intensity, though not quite as aggressively.

"I missed you so much!" Korra exclaimed as she kissed his lips once more. "I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!"

Mako resisted a smile as he set the girl down, quickly forgetting his spat with her weeks ago. Then without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and a pulled her in a gentle hug, which Korra responded to by squeezing his ribs as hard as she could.

"Hey, Korra…" Mako began, wincing as she pressed herself onto him. "Please… uh, please be gentle with me. I'm a lot more delicate than Bolin."

Korra's grip slackened as she pulled away and looked up at Mako with a beaming smile. "I finally found you," she said.

Actually, it was Mako who found her sleeping on the street, but he decided to let her have this small victory. "Yes, you did. Now if you don't mind, I need to get to work."

Korra frowned at his words. "But I haven't seen you in so long," she whined.

Mako looked down at her adorable face, feeling his hard exterior instantly melting away at her endearing eyes. It was obvious that she no longer held any anger towards him.

_Funny…_ Mako never imagined that his next meeting with Korra would be… _so _affectionate. He had expected awkward silences, darting eyes, and the occasional fidgeting on Korra's part. It was as if she had completely forgotten about the fight at the apartment… maybe it was for the best.

"How about this…" Mako began, "after my shift, we'll hang out somewhere."

Korra frowned as she crossed her arms. "Where will we hang out? Not many places are open after midnight."

"We can take a nice stroll in the park," Mako offered.

"How thrilling," Korra deadpanned with sarcasm.

Mako let out a heavy sigh. "I really have to get to work now. Just meet me here in three hours. We'll figure something out."

"Alright," Korra reluctantly agreed. "I'll be right here."

* * *

A few hours later, Mako found Korra waiting for him in the same spot with her polar bear dog.

"You didn't have to wait here the whole time," Mako said as he approached the two.

"Of course I didn't wait the _whole_ time," Korra responded. "I had to take Naga for a potty break twice."

Mako rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to respond with a snappy comeback. Instead, he climbed on the gigantic animal and awkwardly gripped the edge of the saddle behind him.

"It's better if you hold onto me instead," Korra said as she looked over her shoulder. "Don't be shy. We used to cuddle all the time."

Mako shifted his tired body forward and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He didn't expect his night shift to be so exhausting. Then Mako hesitantly pressed his cheek against the fur lining of her parka and closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was take a long nap.

"Hey Mako," Korra spoke up. "You're… eh, you're not homeless, are you?"

"No," Mako mumbled into her shoulder. "Can you give me a ride back to my place? I promise that we'll hang out tomorrow."

"Of course."

* * *

"So _this _is your new home? To be honest, I like the apartment in the pro-bending arena better."

Mako ignored her comment as he made his way across the room and collapsed on the mattress. "How's Bolin?" he asked as Korra moved to sit beside him.

"Bolin is really busy with his schoolwork now," Korra sadly said, missing the times she spent goofing off with the earthbender, "…but he's doing well."

"That's good."

Korra turned to look at the sleeply male. "He really misses you." Though Mako didn't say anything, but Korra knew he felt the same way towards his brother.

"Mind if I stay here for the night?" Korra asked. "It's late and Naga… well, I can already hear her snoring downstairs."

Mako lifted his heavy eyelids and nodded before closing them again. Then he felt the mattress dip and a warm body snuggling against his. When he opened his eyes, he was welcomed by a mess of brown hair under his chin.

"Are you cold?" Mako asked as he moved the blanket to cover her shoulders. Then he noticed that she was wearing a different shirt. "You stole my shirt again, didn't you?"

"Yup," Korra happily chirped. Then she looked up at Mako with her big blue eyes. "I'm going to set this building on fire one day."

Mako froze. "Why?" he cautiously inquired.

"Well, it's either that or demolishing it with earthbending, but setting things on fire is _a lot_ more fun."

"And why does my home need to be destroyed?" Mako asked again, choosing his words more specifically this time.

"Because this hideous building is an eyesore to the Republic City skyline," Korra answered as a matter of fact.

Mako almost wanted to roll his eyes. "And because of your twisted logic, you're going to burn down this building simply because of aesthetic reasoning?"

"No," Korra responded. "Well... if I burn it down, then you won't have a home. If you don't have a home, then you'll have to stay with me."

Mako frowned. He didn't like where the conversation was going.

"The offer to live on Air Temple Island is still up for grabs," Korra quietly said. "It would be nice to have you around and… well, it'd be nice for _us…_"

"I'll be out of this dump soon," Mako cut in, remembering about Chief Beifong's offer—however, he hadn't decided whether to accept it or not. "I'm going to have a nice apartment one day," he said, imagining the distant future, "one with good plumbing and a furnished kitchen."

"And a fireplace too," Korra added. "I like fireplaces and—_oh!_" She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth upon realization that she just _implied _that she would be moving in with Mako sometime in the nearby future. Embarrassed, a blushing Korra slowly looked up to see Mako staring down at her with the most curious expression. Then she made a nervous squeal, pulled the blanket over her head, and buried her face into his chest, effectively hiding her face from his view.

Mako didn't say anything at first. Instead, he was thinking about how adorable the mighty Avatar was acting, especially hiding under the covers from him. Then he thought about how his future would be with Korra and the possibility of having a family with her—though neither of them had ever talked about the likelihood of having children together, but Mako had always wanted to be a father one day. But then, what would people say if the great and powerful Avatar married a lowly street rat? If someone was going to marry the Avatar, then that someone better be a great guy worthy of the Avatar's affections... and now, Mako knew his current financial troubles would prevent him from giving Korra the best she deserved.

"Chief Beifong asked me to join the police force," he suddenly said.

Korra poked her head from under the covers, and a happy smile slowly appeared on her features. "Mako, that's great."

"Well, I haven't told her that I would do it." He looked over to Korra. "Do you think I should do it?"

"Of course!" she answered cheerfully. Then she frowned as she thought it over. "But it's a dangerous job."

"Beats working at that damn power plant every day," Mako muttered as he moved to lie beside her.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not that delicate."

Korra pouted as she frowned. "Is this something you want to do?" she asked.

Mako didn't answer at first. "I don't know, but I'd be making a lot more money… and I can get that nice apartment with a fireplace sooner."

"Beifong is going to work you to death," Korra warned. "You're going to die."

Mako hoped that Korra didn't mean that literally; though if Chief Beifong did end up killing him, then the chief would be forced to arrest herself—an amusing idea but Mako wasn't too keen on being killed.

"But then," Korra continued, "if you become a police officer, then we can go and fight crime together. The Avatar and her trusty sidekick—_the Dynamic Duo!_ And I won't let anyone hurt you._"_

Mako let a tiny smile slip onto his face. "I doubt Chief Beifong would want you to join," He said teasingly. "You've given her enough grief already."

"Who said anything about me joining the police?" Korra asked. "I'm the Avatar. I can fight crime whenever I want."

* * *

"Hey Bolin, we have some good news for you."

Bolin looked over to the side and saw a grinning Korra standing by an equally happy Mako. Suspicious, Bolin raised a brow. "Yes?"

"We're pregnant!" Korra exclaimed with a wide smile.

Mako frowned at his girlfriend's words. "Actually, you're the one who's pregnant," he corrected.

"Wait… w-what?" a dumbfounded Bolin managed to say.

Beside him, Asami let out a small cough, as if she hadn't discreetly choked on the tea she was sipping. "Eh… congrats," a surprised Asami said, but then she noticed Korra's sly wink and decided to play along. "Oh... _oh_ yeah, Bolin," Asami began, quickly adopting a cool and composed expression. "I'm not surprised. They have been doing it _all_ day and night while you were attending classes and pulling all-nighters at the library… especially now that Korra spends more time at Mako's new apartment than she does on Air Temple Island. I'm surprised that she didn't get knocked up earlier."

Bolin suddenly leaned over the table and grabbed Asami's shoulders, his nostrils flaring dangerously. "You knew that they've been having sex all this time, and you didn't try to stop them?!"

"Alright, that's enough," Mako said as he pulled Bolin away from a snickering Asami. "Bolin, are you hyperventilating?"

"I'm not ready to be an uncle," Bolin mumbled to himself while taking quick, shallow breaths, "…at least not for another seven years."

"Deep breaths," Mako coached. "Slow, deep breaths."

"BUT I'M NOT READY TO BE AN UNCLE! AND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS _VERY_ MUCH ILLEGAL! I'M GOING TO CALL CHIEF BEIFONG AND TELL HER ABOUT THIS!" Bolin shouted into Mako's face. Behind them, the girls were having trouble containing their laughter and smiling faces.

Mako let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. "Bolin, we were just kidding. Korra's isn't pregnant."

"She isn't?" Bolin breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, eh… _good._ You two should continue to have sex responsibly."

"We're not having sex," Korra interjected, though Bolin didn't seem to care. "But," she continued, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Mako. "We do have some _very_ good news."

Bolin blinked. "Oh _my_ spirits… Mako finally got off his _sissy_ ass and proposed to you."

Asami's eyes widened, somehow believing Bolin's words. "I call dibs on being the wedding planner," she said aloud, winking in response to the glare Bolin was sending her.

"But_ I_ wanted to plan their wedding," Bolin protested.

"N-No… t-that wasn't what Korra meant," a blushing Mako stammered while an equally blushing Korra buried her face into Mako's back. "I'm graduating from the Police Academy, and I want you all to be at the ceremony."

Bolin frowned, taking in Mako's words. "You know, Mako…" he began, "…while graduating from the Police Academy is _undoubtedly _a grand achievement—_considering that you somehow survived Chief's Beifong's wrath despite being little sissy_—it drastically pales in comparison to the marriage announcement. I am so disappointed right now."

Asami nodded her head in agreement, sadness appearing on her delicate features. She _really _wanted to plan their wedding.

"Bolin," Mako hissed. "You're the one who disappointed yourself by making the marriage announcement."

"Oh boo! Now hurry up and get married so I won't be disappointed anymore." Then Bolin quickly turned to Asami. "I call dibs on planning their _real _wedding."

Asami scowled, crossing her arms and slouching in her seat. "Damn…"

* * *

"Today's the big day, isn't it?" Mako asked as he admired the reflection of his new police uniform on him. Despite the bags underneath his eyes, he looked just dandy—handsome, in Korra's opinion. Then a pair of arms appeared from the side and wrapped around his waist.

"I'm so proud of you," Korra said as she stood on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. For Mako's graduation, she raided Asami's closet and found a casual dark dress to go with her leggings and boots. And to Mako's delight, she wore her hair down for him. "Congratulations Mako. You are now a respected officer of the state… _or in better words_, another one of Chief Beifong's lackeys."

Mako smiled at her choice of words and thought about how much his life had changed. Things had finally been turning up for him: after getting accepted to the Police Academy and getting a temporary job as Beifong's secretary—though Korra thought _slave _would had been a more appropriate term—he moved out of the ratty building and got a new apartment in the nicer part of Republic City; and much to Korra's delight, the apartment had a fireplace for her to enjoy.

"You do realize that I am now obligated to arrest you for any illegal shenanigans you decide to pull?" Mako asked.

Korra let out a giggle. "So you can have your way with me?" Korra said suggestively. "Handcuffs are kinky."

"Bolin would never approve."

Korra looked up at him in surprise. "You're more worried about Bolin's approval than Beifong finding out about you molesting a cell inmate?"

Mako looked down at Korra, narrowing his amber eyes. "Too young," he said.

"_Too young?!"_ Korra nearly shouted. "I'm only _one _year younger than you!"

Mako slowly pulled the upset Avatar off his body. "Under Republic City law, you're technically a minor," he recited. "Therefore, it would be illegal for an adult—_like myself_—to engage in sexual intercourse with you."

Korra crossed her arms and let out a huff, her bottom lip sticking out slightly. "Whatever. You're missing out."

Mako let out a laugh. He somehow felt different, almost as if he was no longer the polar bear dog trapped on an island in a sea of lava. "I don't know why, but I think I'm finally reaching the heavens," he said.

Korra raised a curious brow, confusion evident on her face. However, she brushed it off as one of Mako's incoherent ramblings probably due to sleep deprivation or overexposure to Republic City's tyrant—_at least in Korra's opinion_—Chief Beifong. "That's nice, sweetie," she said.

* * *

"What are you three doing?" Mako asked as the airbender children pulled at his arms.

"We're going to take you flying with us!" Meelo said.

Ikki giggled as she hopped on Mako's shoulders. "Korra said that you wanted to fly up to the heavens!"

Mako looked at Korra for an explanation. In response, Korra grinned. "Remember when you told me that you thought you were reaching the heavens? Well, the airbender kids want to show you what the heavens _really _look like."

Before Mako had the chance to object, a gust of wind suddenly appeared and lifted him up in the air. "Korra, I can have you arrested under the charge of premeditated murder!"

"You're not dead yet, Mako!" Korra shouted from the ground, smiling as the children carried Mako higher and higher up to the heavens.

* * *

**A/N: **Not sure if everyone got this, but flying to the heavens is supposed to symbolize freedom for Mako. In Part 1, Mako feels that he's trapped by the poor status—that's why he is so adamant to get Bolin into the University, because he knew that an education would provide the tools Bolin needs to have a stable life, so he wouldn't have to struggle like Mako. In a way, letting go of his stubbornness by accepting Beifong's job offer was a way for Mako to be free and have the financial stability to live his life. Of course, we'll have to wait until Book 2 to see how Mako handles being a cop.

Now, if you still don't understand the _freedom_ and _flying up to the heavens _themes, then I must have done a crap job writing this story.

Per usual, reviews are appreciated.


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